When WhitePages launches its Localicious app on today, it will be in the Android Market rather than in the iPhone App Store.

There's a simple reason for that. Although WhitePages still sees iPhone owners as a key target, Apple's approval process is just too difficult to time a launch around. As evidence, the Seattle company notes that one of its apps, a reverse phone look-up directory, has been in Apple's hands for the past two months awaiting approval. So, this time around, the company decided to go Android first.

"I think we are going to see a lot of people start to ship Android first," WhitePages Chief Operating Officer Kevin Nakao told AllThingsD. "You can't be held hostage."

Localicious isn't the first app that WhitePages did first for Android. The company also has launched a Caller ID app for Android after finding, like others that wanted to offer such a service for iPhone, that Apple wouldn't allow the needed access.

Even when Apple does approve apps, it generally doesn't give a clear enough time frame to fully plan a launch, Nakao said.

"Marketing an application becomes increasingly important given the number of apps that are being published," Nakao said, noting that the company wants to time its product launches with a PR campaign as well as mobile, Web and social media advertising campaigns. "Since apps can still get tied up in the iOS approval process, it makes this marketing planning almost impossible."

Nakao's comments echo sentiments expressed earlier on Tuesday by Android co-founder Rich Miner, who now works for Google Ventures. Even though he works for Google, Miner said that he used to recommend mobile developers launch first for iOS because of the platform's size. These days, Miner said the size of the opportunities are more similar, while Android offers more flexibility, such as making it easier to allow developers to offer test versions prior to launch.

Android is not without its challenges either, of course. Developing for Google's operating system means testing for a large number of devices as opposed to just a couple of iPhone models.

Nakao notes that the company has two testers just for Android now. "I'd rather hire more people and have options," he said.

As for the app itself, it's a local search program. It's main distinguishing feature is that it allows people to search local listings by neighborhood as opposed to just geographic distance. That means users in San Francisco won't see listings for Daly City, Calif., unless they want to and those in Hollywood won't be forced to go over the hill to the Valley. More importantly, those in Manhattan's TriBeCa district won't be sent over a bridge to New Jersey just because it happens to be geographically proximate.

Nakao notes that there are more than 82,000 distinct neighborhoods within American cities, places with which most urban dwellers have an affinity. Localicious also aims to be more current by offering tips based on nearby places where people are "checking in."

"That way it is more alive," Nakao said.

Those who want to give Localicious a try can find it for free as long as they have an Android device--iPhone owners will have to wait until Localicious comes to their neighborhood.

I know it's a small market, but I just noticed something interesting: The Danish weather service now provides local weather forecast, calculated for every 1-3 km or so, with graphical illustration of probability distribution for rainfall - it's really great. I can see, that . On Android, that is - their website does not. I think the purpose is, that between 11:00 and 12:00 today, I will probably get 4mm of rain, meaning most likely between 3mm and 9mm, less likely between 3mm and 10mm, and least likely between 0mm and 15mm. Next village has a different forecast.

I assume that the reason is, that agriculture needs this level of precision, to figure out which fields to work on, but it is interesting, that the farmers only need it on Android phones, and not on a PC...

Ford looks to be an early member of Google's test of Google+ corporate accounts

Google is accelerating a test of corporate accounts on Google+ after "thousands upon thousands" of businesses applied for a place in the program, a Google executive said.

The company plans next week to choose who'll get into the test and announce their names soon afterward, said Christian Oestlien, a Google product manager, in a Google+ post last night.

But if you want your company, brand name, school, or celebrity pet to have a place soon on Google, you'd better act fast. Google is closing down its applications form on Friday, he said.

"To the thousands upon thousands of businesses that applied to be a part: thank you!" Oestlian said. "We won't be able to accommodate everyone, but your interest has got us very focused on accelerating our development plans."

Last week, Oestlian said Google had planned to launch corporate accounts later this year. He didn't say when they'd arrive under the accelerated plan.

Corporate accounts are a big deal these days as companies try to tap into the vibrant, fast-growing world of social networking. Facebook and Twitter, the two incumbent powers in the area, both offer corporate accounts.

Every now and again, a company through luck or skill enjoys a promotional perk as a viral video blazes from friend to friend across social networks. Probably more important in the long run, though, will be customer support, friends' recommendations, and other relatively mundane interactions involving companies and consumers. Either way, a corporate presence online is necessary.

Google says Google+ isn't yet ready for them, though. That hasn't stopped many from trying, but Google has been deleting corporate accounts.

Some, such as Ford Motor Co. on Google+ are apparently a shoo-ins for the corporate test; their corporate accounts on Google+ remain unscathed even before the test participants are announced.

Oestlian said that team members including himself and business profiles product manager Dennis Troper "will focus next week on selecting a diverse set of business partners for the test period. We will be communicating with these partners next week, and will let the world know who they are soon thereafter."

Those with a personal brand have an easier time. Among celebrities on Google+ today are Wil Wheaton, Felicia Day, Alyssa Milano, and 50 Cent.

As a Google+ newbie, you might be wondering how to get all of your photos from your previous obsession (Facebook) to the latest spectacle, Google+.

Facebook went on the defensive recently when users tried to export their friend lists to Google+ for easy adding. Facebook blocked the service, leaving us users to fend for ourselves.

Well, listen, Facebook: you can take my friends, but you can't take my photos.

Move your Facebook photos to Google+

To move your Facebook pictures, you'll first need to download all your albums, then reupload them to Google+. A Web tool like Move2Picasa will do this for you in one shot, but a field test deemed this service unreliable. Try our method instead.

Download your photos

Option A: Go to Facebook > Account > Account settings > Download your information. After some time (several hours to a day), Facebook will notify you that your download is ready. Download it, unzip it, and you'll find all your albums in the "Photos" folder.

Option B: Go to PickNZip.com and log in with Facebook. Click "Find My Photos," then head to Download > Download all photos. This will download all of your uploaded albums and any photos you've been tagged in. Once you've downloaded the file, unzip it.

Security tip: After using Pick&Zip, go to Facebook > Privacy settings. Go to "Edit Settings" under Apps and Website, and head to "Apps you use" and remove Pick&Zip.

Upload Facebook albums to Google+

Go to Google+ > View Profile > Photos > Upload New Photos. Click "Select photos from computer," locate the album you want to upload, highlight all of its enclosed photos, and select "Open."

Once the photos have uploaded, give the album a name, and select "Create album." Then, post a comment about the album and select which circles or individuals you'd like to share it with.

Tip: You can always change album visibility. Go to your profile > Photos > View all of your albums. Select the album, and change "Visible to.".

College Professors See Google+ as More Useful for Classes Than Facebook

Wed, Jul. 13, 2011 Posted: 08:47 PM EDT

College professors are considering how Google+ might be used to enhance student learning in and out of the classroom.

Google's previous attempts at social networking, Google Buzz and Google Wave, failed to catch on. Facebook and Twitter have, so far, dominated the field of social networking on the Internet. Google's latest attempt, Google+, manages, however, to improve upon one of the weaknesses of Facebook and Twitter, namely, managing different groups with the same platform. This advantage has some professors thinking about how they might be able to use Google+ to better connect with their students...

BREAKING..Google now activating 550,000 Androids per day... and accelerating..Google now activating Android devices at a rate of 550,000 per dayNews by Dan Seifert on Thursday July 14, 2011.0 Commentsmobileburn.com

Google CEO Larry Page released some numbers about the company's growth in the mobile space during the investor's call for Q2 2011 today. Android devices are now being activated at a rate of 550,000 per day, up from the 500,000 that Andy Rubin reported just a couple of weeks ago.

In addition to the accelerated growth of activations, Google says that there are now over 400 devices on the market worldwide that are powered by Android, and that Android devices in total number over 135 million. The Android Market is on pace to catch up to Apple's iTunes App Store as well, as there are now over 6 billion reported app downloads from the Market, compared to the 15 billion downloaded from the App Store. The Android Market is home to 250,000 apps, while the App Store holds onto its lead with 425,000 apps.

Android's growth has been like a freight train in the smartphone and mobile device market, and it has led the smartphone market in the U.S. for a number of quarters now. With the number of devices activated each day going up every few weeks, it looks like Android will continue to lead the smartphone market for some time.

Google+ is merely a week old, but its quickly growing into a social networking behemoth with over 10 million users registered in less than two weeks, according to Google big wig Larry Page. Many of those users who access Google+ via their Android smartphones should be happy to know that the mobile app has just been updated with some pretty major tweaks and additions.

For starters, your stream can now be filtered in the same way as the desktop site. You can now choose the circle you want to view and cut out excess chatter, seeing only the shared items you’re looking for. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The update has brought some major improvements to group huddles. You can now set permissions for who can initiate a huddle with you, dismiss huddle invitations, and add multiple people or entire circles to group chat. This is all on top bug fixes, performance enhancements, and the ability to set a photo as your wallpaper.

In other news, iOS users are still playing the waiting game to even get their first taste of a native mobile app for Google+. Guess it pays to be on the right side of the world’s latest social networking craze.

Could Google+ Be the Best Social Network for Your Career?By Drew Gannon | Jul 15, 2011 | 0 Commentsmoneywatch.bnet.com

Barely two weeks old, Google’s new social network, Google+, is already scrambling the social media hierarchy. One of its key features — that your professional and personal lives can go their separate ways – helps solve a key Facebook drawback. No matter how straitlaced and professional your social media behavior, if your college roommate tags you in the wrong photo, you might have some explaining to do at the office. While Facebook and Twitter have tools to sort contacts into groups, they’re not nearly as easy to set up and use as the Google+ version.

Users can sort contacts into various categories such as friends, family, and colleagues, and then share — and more important, withhold — specific information with each individual circle, or with all their contacts as a whole. Oversharing on Facebook and other social networks has led to a slew of workplace complications and even firings.

“Social media has not been adopted in the professional world as it has in the personal realm in large part due to an inability to intuitively control and manage information that you’re consuming and distributing,” says Zach Clayton, CEO of Three Ships Media, a digital marketing agency. “Google’s Circles is a major step forward.”

Still, social media strategist and career coach Miriam Salpeter cautions that the seeming security of Circles shouldn’t make people complacent about what they share online. “Anything you post online is public, even if it’s intended for a circle of friends,” Salpeter says. “You have to assume whatever you put online could still be seen by a potential boss at some point whether or not you expect them to see it.”

But more than just keeping your Friday plans hidden from your boss, Google+ has other features that boost its appeal in the workplace. The group chat feature, Huddles, for example, enables collaboration among colleagues without lengthy email chains or other wrangling, while Hangouts allows for spontaneous group video conferences. Other features like the ability to edit comments you’ve made and to turn off notifications when discussions you’re a part of no longer seem relevant also add professional appeal. And Google in general has a reputation for fostering productivity, as opposed to the fun, but productivity-killing perception of Facebook.

“Facebook has so many more opportunities to waste time flipping through pictures or playing Farmville,” says social media strategist Phil Gerbyshak. “It’s easy to stigmatize that. But most people are fans of Google and understand that Google is a business productivity tool. I’ve never talked to anyone who has said Google is a waste of time.”

Who Should Be Worried About Google+

While Facebook seems most squarely in Google’s sights, Twitter may also be vulnerable. Google+ uses Twitter’s asymmetric relationship model, allowing users to follow others without requiring any reciprocal action. But it also encourages deeper content sharing to build closer connections among users, just as Facebook does. “Twitter has a lot of noise out there — a lot of people sharing a lot of information and not a lot of people sharing comments back on that,” Gerbyshak says. “You can’t target messages as well on Twitter as you already can on Google+.”

Google+ may also have the capacity to win users away from LinkedIn, the top professional social networking site, thanks to an emphasis on content sharing and communication that LinkedIn has only recently started to develop. “If Google is successful in making the Google profile the root profile of an individual’s online identity and bridging the gap between the professional and personal, LinkedIn loses the main advantage it has as a clean, streamlined, and professional home on the web,” says Christopher Carfi, a vice president at social strategy consulting firm Ant’s Eye View.

To be sure, Google+ still has a long way to go to amass the huge numbers of its competitors, and the utility that comes with having those massive networks. At last count, LinkedIn claimed roughly 100 million members, Twitter had more than 200 million registered accounts, and Facebook leads with 750 million users around the world. Google recently announced plans to double the amount of members it’s allowing into Google+, but has not indicated how many total members this represents. Google does have the advantage of tens of millions of users who already use its products and would simply need to activate Google+ once the company opens up the network to more people.

“Google Plus may be the next Facebook, or it could be the next Google Wave,” says Three Ship’s Clayton, referring to an earlier social networking effort by Google that bombed. “We can’t say for sure, but this is the strongest effort Google has put out to date, especially for the professional world.”